Ten More Times 

An artistic approach to the impact of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”.

If you’re looking for an engaging female-led film that touches on the genres of action, drama, and thriller, look no further than Le-Van Kiet’s "Furie".

The social issues The Half of it takes on are handled well, between the antagonization brought on to Ellie for her race and the conflict that arises from her being gay. Both aspects of her character are built up over the course of the film and don’t seem abrupt or rushed. The film shows racism towards Ellie and her and father in varying levels, from having her schoolmates specifically address her as "Chinese girl” to the fore mentioned way her Dad is treated due to language barriers. The same can be said about Ellie being a lesbian. While she never truly “comes out” in the narrative, that does not undermine her journey of self-discovery from being meaningful. These ideas aren’t thrust upon the viewer in a preachy manor, the scenarios that occur feel believable given the rural setting. The film presents watchers with problems whom those like Ellie may face, and leaves us to sit with them and reflect.

The message to take away from 'Causeway' is that toxic masculinity can manifest in anyone, no matter what their gender identity is.

La Bola Negra is an achievement worth praising and worth seeing. 

The plot lags, the moral lessons are misguided, but are those fluffy little donut creatures adorable? Yes. Yes, they are.